That Was Then
#ThrowbackThursday: Aerial Views of Princeton, 1967

From 1958 to 1968, Princeton added an astonishing 2.7 million square feet of building space to the campus — increasing the physical plant by 70 percent in the most significant expansion in the Universityâs history, according to the 2008 Princeton Campus Plan. PAW showcased parts of the construction boom, as captured by photographer Robert Matthews, in a January 1967 photo essay titled “Aerial Princeton.” Gifts from a $53 million capital campaign funded parts of the growing campus, and Cold War-era funding for scientific research played a prominent role as well. Click the images in the gallery below for a closer look at the additions, which included Robertson Hall, Jadwin Gymnasium, the E-Quad, and New South.

To make way for Robertson Hall, center, the University moved Corwin Hall, left, which previously occupied the corner of Washington and Prospect streets.

Jadwin Gymnasium, billed as a “cage for all seasons,” houses facilities for more than a dozen varsity teams.

The Engineering Quad, on the former site of University Field; Computer Science and the Friend Center now occupy the lot at right, used for parking in the 1960s.

Some dormitories from the 1960s expansion remain, including Wilcox, center, and its Wilson College neighbors. The Butler dorms, top left, were razed in 2007.

New South, built to house administrative offices, towered over the Dinky Station, left, and a score of tennis courts.

The base of Fine Hall tower marked the beginning of a southern expansion for science buildings. Palmer Stadium is partially visible at the top right.